Wedge spring clip

Abstract

A system and method are provided for mounting, removing and retaining brake pads in disc brakes, such as air-operated disc brakes utilized on commercial vehicles. A preferred embodiment includes a brake pad carrier having features to fixedly receive spring retaining elements, such as bushings, which in turn retain spring elements, such as spring clips, having features that cooperate with corresponding brake pad surfaces to resist radially-outward motion of the brake pad.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A brake pad retention system, comprising:
 a brake pad; 
 a spring element; and 
 a spring retaining element, 
 wherein
 the spring retaining element is configured to be held on a brake pad carrier, 
 the spring element is configured to cooperate with the spring retaining element to resist radially outward motion of the spring element, 
 the brake pad includes a retention feature configured to cooperate with a corresponding retention feature of the spring element to resist radially outward motion of the brake pad, and 
 when the brake pad is in an installed position in the brake pad carrier, the spring element is positioned between a lateral side of the brake pad and a face of a brake pad abutment portion of the brake pad carrier, 
 wherein the spring element is a spring clip, and the spring retaining element is a bushing configured to receive a retaining portion of the spring clip. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The brake pad retention system of  claim 1 , wherein
 the spring clip includes tab portions extending from the spring clip and configured to straddle the brake pad abutment portion of the brake pad carrier to resist axial motion of the spring clip when the spring clip is in a spring clip installed position. 
 
     
     
       3. The brake pad retention system of  claim 2 , wherein
 the retention feature of the brake pad is one of a concave surface and a convex surface configured to cooperate with a complementary convex or concave portion of the spring clip to resist radially-outward motion of the brake pad when the brake pad is in the installed position. 
 
     
     
       4. The brake pad retention system of  claim 3 , wherein
 the spring clip is configured to be inserted into the bushing into a position in which the tab portions align with the brake pad abutment portion of the brake pad carrier prior to movement to the installed position. 
 
     
     
       5. The brake pad retention system of  claim 1 , wherein
 the bushing is formed from at least one of brass, steel and plastic. 
 
     
     
       6. A brake pad retention system, comprising:
 a brake pad; 
 a brake pad carrier; 
 a spring element; and 
 a spring retaining element, 
 wherein
 the spring retaining element is configured to be held on the brake pad carrier, 
 the spring element is configured to cooperate with the spring retaining element to resist radially outward motion of the spring element, 
 the brake pad includes a retention feature configured to cooperate with a corresponding retention feature of the spring element to resist radially outward motion of the brake pad, and 
 when the brake pad is in an installed position in the brake pad carrier, the spring element is positioned between a lateral side of the brake pad and a face of a brake pad abutment portion of the brake pad carrier, 
 wherein the spring element is a spring clip, and the spring retaining element is a bushing configured to receive a retaining portion of the spring clip. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The brake pad retention system of  claim 6 , wherein
 the brake pad carrier includes a bushing receiving feature configured to receive the bushing adjacent to a portion of the brake pad carrier in which the brake pad is located when the brake pad is in the brake pad installed position, and 
 the bushing receiving feature includes a gap configured to permit the spring clip to extend from the bushing into the portion of the brake pad carrier in which the brake pad is located when the brake pad is in the brake pad installed position. 
 
     
     
       8. The brake pad retention system of  claim 7 , wherein
 the spring clip includes features configured to cooperate with the brake pad abutment portion of the brake pad carrier tab portions extending from the spring clip and configured to straddle the brake pad abutment portion of the brake pad carrier to resist axial motion of the spring clip when the spring clip is in a spring clip installed position. 
 
     
     
       9. The brake pad retention system of  claim 7  wherein
 the retention feature of the brake pad is one of a concave surface and a convex surface configured to cooperate with a complementary convex or concave portion of the spring clip to resist radially-outward motion of the brake pad when the brake pad is in the installed position. 
 
     
     
       10. The brake pad retention system of  claim 9 , wherein
 the brake pad abutment portion includes a brake pad carrier projection arranged to resist radially-outward motion of an upper end portion of the spring clip. 
 
     
     
       11. The brake pad retention system of  claim 10 , wherein
 the spring clip is configured to be inserted into the bushing in a position in which the features align with the brake pad abutment portion of the brake pad carrier prior to movement to the installed position. 
 
     
     
       12. The brake pad retention system of  claim 6 , wherein
 the bushing is formed from at least one of brass, steel and plastic. 
 
     
     
       13. A method of installing a brake pad, comprising the acts of:
 installing a spring element into a spring retaining element held on a brake pad carrier; 
 aligning a brake pad with the spring element; and 
 advancing the brake pad into engagement with the spring element into an installed position of the brake pad on the brake pad carrier, 
 wherein
 the spring element cooperates with the spring retaining element to resist radially outward motion of the spring element, 
 a brake pad retention feature cooperates with a corresponding retention feature of the spring element to resist radially outward motion of the brake pad, and 
 when the brake pad is in an installed position in the brake pad carrier, the spring element is positioned between a lateral side of the brake pad and a face of a brake pad abutment portion of the brake pad carrier, 
 wherein the spring element is a spring clip, and the spring retaining element is a bushing configured to receive a retaining portion of the spring clip. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The method of installing a brake pad of  claim 13 , wherein
 the act of aligning the brake pad with the spring element includes moving the brake pad in a radially-inward direction parallel to a plane containing the brake pad when the brake pad is in the installed position until the brake pad retention feature and the spring element retention feature are aligned such that the brake pad is positioned to engage the spring element in the brake pad advancing act. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of installing a brake pad of  claim 13 , wherein
 the bushing into which the spring clip is installed during the installing act is located in a bushing receiving feature of the brake pad carrier, 
 the bushing receiving feature is adjacent to a portion of the brake pad carrier in which the brake pad is located when the brake pad is in the brake pad installed position, and 
 the bushing receiving feature includes a gap configured to permit the spring clip to extend from the bushing into the portion of the brake pad carrier in which the brake pad is located when in the brake pad installed position. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of installing a brake pad of  claim 15 , wherein
 the spring clip includes tab portions extending from the spring clip and configured to straddle the brake pad abutment portion of the brake pad carrier to resist axial motion of the spring clip when the spring clip is in a spring clip installed position. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of installing a brake pad of  claim 15 , wherein
 in the installing act the spring clip is inserted into the bushing at an angle until the tab portions align with the brake pad abutment portion of the brake pad carrier prior to movement to the installed position, and then the spring clip is rotated to the spring clip installed position with the tab portions straddling the brake pad abutment portion of the brake pad carrier.